Poppin' the Cherry

 Cherry is another beautiful hardwood flooring option.  (You may have figured out by now that all of the hardwood species make a beautiful floor!)  Contrary to popular belief, Cherry is not always the dark pink/reddish-brown color as seen on TV.  Cherry can be a light blonde color, too.  The difference is where the board gets cut from inside the log.  The Sapwood (outer section of the log) contains most of the lighter material.  The Heartwood (nearer the middle of the log) has the darker reddish-browns and pinks.  All of it, though, will darken over time as it is exposed to UV light and sunlight, but the sapwood will stay much lighter than the heartwood.  Most Cherry hardwood flooring will contain both heartwood and sapwood, and the lower the grade the greater the possibility of more sapwood exists.  This is another specie that will really pop if the installation is planned out by opening several bundles of material and spreading it all out prior to nailing (which you should do anyway), rather than just nail-and-go.  The contrasting light and dark material can then be laid out so that it is more eye-catching, rather than having blotches of it here and there throughout the floor (unless that's what you are going for).  If a darker stain is planned, it may not be as critical as it will stain fairly evenly, but there could still be a difference over time, especially if part of the room is exposed to a big picture window and the rest of the room is trapped in shadows.  The other thing to be wary about is how much traffic the floor is going to take.  Cherry is one of the "softer" hardwoods, and does not stand up very well to big dogs and rambunctious children and adults.  The finish and topcoat will be the primary protector of the floor, and if you are OCD about seeing scratches, any dark floor may not be the way to go for you.  Only the Shadow knows....

                  CHERRY SELECT                                            CHERRY 1 COMMON

  

                                                             CHERRY 2 COMMON

CHERRY NATURAL FINISH - aged 10 years

                         Note the sapwood and heartwood present in the center piece of flooring.

A word of caution.  Watch out for marketing strategies that use the name "Cherry" in the description. Whether it is flooring, cabinetry, furniture, etc, sometimes the wood will be something other than Cherry (like Pine or some other craziness), with only a Cherry-color stain and finish applied.  If you truly want Cherry hardwood, ask the hard questions and demand the real thing.